Nurse volunteers spread awareness about sudden cardiac arrest

From: Nurse.com

Every time Jenny Keylon, RN, BSN, teaches students how to perform CPR and use an AED, she watches them conquer their fears about saving lives. As a volunteer with the Nick of Time Foundation in Mill Creek, Wash., she regularly demonstrates these basic lifesaving skills to students.

Keylon, an electrophysiology nurse at Seattle Children’s Hospital, is one of about 100 RNs — along with physicians, allied health professionals and community members — whose volunteer efforts with the foundation are helping prevent sudden cardiac arrest in youth across the state. The nonprofit foundation aims to educate schools, athletes, families and communities about which steps to take if someone goes into SCA.

"Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in exercising young athletes," Nick of Time Foundation Executive Director Darla Varrenti said. "It happens every three days in the U.S. Most [victims] have hidden cardiac abnormalities with no warning signs until suffering a sudden cardiac arrest."